When he got back to his his family's house near Paris Mountain, he discovered that he hadn't made it home with his backpack. Inside the missing pack was his wallet with containing his driver's license, his debit card, his mom's credit card and their insurance cards-- an identity theif's dream.

Kanipe, his mother, Heather, and his father, Neal, looked everywhere for it, but by the afternoon, they had come to terms with the fact that it was probably lost for good.

That's when good fortune knocked on their door, or, more precisely, Ben Williams Jr. Williams told the family that he had found the backpack on Pendleton Street.

He opened it up and found the wallet, and all the valuables inside.

Having lost his own wallet in the past, he knew that someone was frantically retracing their steps and searching for it.

"He knew it needed to be returned to its rightful owner," Heather said Williams told them.

The remarkable part of the story is that Williams didn't make the cross-town, 7-mile trip in a car, which would have taken 20 minutes at the most.

He made the trip on his only mode of transportation -- his old bicycle.

At some point along the way, the bicycle broke down, and Williams continued his mission on foot. Overjoyed, the Kanipes welcomed Williams into their home and offered him a glass of Gatorade.

"He was pouring with sweat and grateful for it," Heather said.

The Kanipes learned that Williams was homeless. He's been staying at the Sands Motel on Poinsett Highway with his girlfriend and daughter. He sells scrap metal each day to pay for the room, but the company was closed for the holiday, and he had no money for the night.

The Kanipes tried to fix his bike, but it needed a special part, and the bike shops were also closed for the holiday.

Grateful that he went so far out of his way to help, the Kanipes gave Williams a bag full of snacks, bought him dinner and took him to his hotel, where they paid the fees for the night.

When they got to the motel, Heather asked him where his belongings were. He told them that he keeps them under a bridge.

Ben motioned for the family to come into his room. As they cautiously entered, he put his hands on them and started to pray out loud.

"He prayed for our family and for Alex, who is graduating from high school this week," Heather said. "It was a beautiful prayer.

"I found him to be very intelligent, sincere and honest.

"He never asked for money or any other kind of handout.

"He goes to church every Sunday and offered inspirational words to my son," Heather said.

"Ben reminded us how blessed we are in our life. I was profoundly affected by (his) gracious heart and determination to help a stranger at his own expense.

The day proved rewarding for everyone involved, and Heather pointed out the lessons learned.

"Good people are everywhere, in every walk of life. Never judge someone without getting to know them first," she said. "I felt like I had been visited by an angel."